Hyphenation ofnondiscrimination

Linguistic Analysis of "nondiscrimination"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "nondiscrimination" is pronounced /ˌnɑn.dɪsˌkrɪm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ in General American English. It presents challenges due to the prefix "non-" and the complex cluster of consonants within the root.

2. Syllable Division:

Following English syllabification rules, the word breaks down as follows (using only original letters): non-dis-crim-i-na-tion

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: non- (Latin origin, meaning "not"). Morphological function: negation.
• Root: disc (Latin dis- meaning "apart" + scire meaning "to know"). Morphological function: core meaning related to distinguishing or discerning.
• Suffix: -rimination (combination of -i- (connecting vowel) + -crim- (from crimen meaning "accusation, crime") + -ation (Latin, forming nouns from verbs)). Morphological function: nominalization, creating a noun from a verb-like concept.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the fourth syllable: na-tion. This is consistent with the general rule that stress tends to fall on the penultimate syllable in words ending in -tion.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌnɑn.dɪsˌkrɪm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/

6. Edge Case Review:

The prefix "non-" can sometimes be considered a single syllable or split as "no-n," but in this case, it's more common and phonologically smoother to treat it as a single syllable /nɑn/. The consonant cluster "-scrim-" is a potential point of complexity, but English allows for such clusters, particularly in borrowed words.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Nondiscrimination" primarily functions as a noun. While it could theoretically be used adjectivally (e.g., "nondiscrimination policy"), the syllabification and stress remain consistent.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The practice of treating people equally without regard to race, sex, religion, etc.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: impartiality, fairness, equality, objectivity
• Antonyms: discrimination, bias, prejudice
• Examples: "The company has a strong policy of nondiscrimination." "Nondiscrimination laws protect employees from unfair treatment."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• discrimination: dis-crim-i-na-tion (similar structure, stress on -na-tion)
• communication: com-mu-ni-ca-tion (similar -tion ending, stress on -ca-tion)
• information: in-for-ma-tion (similar -tion ending, stress on -ma-tion)

The syllable division in all these words follows the same pattern: consonant clusters are generally maintained within syllables unless they can be easily broken up by vowels. The stress pattern is also consistent with the -tion suffix. The difference lies in the initial consonant clusters, which dictate the initial syllable divisions.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Exceptions/Special Cases (Word-Level):

The primary challenge is the consonant cluster "-scrim-", which requires careful consideration. However, English allows for such clusters, particularly in words of Latin origin.

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel Rule: Each syllable must contain at least one vowel sound.
2. Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are generally maintained within a syllable unless they can be easily broken up by vowels.
3. Stress Pattern Rule: Stress tends to fall on the penultimate syllable in words ending in -tion.